Sight feed lubricator



March 6, 1934. G. R. FlcKERT SIGHT FEED LUBRICATOR BY my@ ATTORN EY Patented Mar. 6, T1934 UNITED STATES SGI-IT FEED LUBRICATR R. Fickert, deceased Application October 4, 1932, Serial No. 636,221

Clairns.

This invention relates to lubricators and particularly to an improved sight feed lubricator, the object being to provide an improved construction wherein an acciuate feeding action is secured at 5 all times.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sight feed lubricator wherein a complete supply of oil may be inserted at any time without disturbing the adjustment of the device.

An additional object is to provide an improved lubricator of the sight feed type wherein means are provided for allowing the passage of oil into and out of the device while appreciably preventing any inlet of dust or other foreign matter.

In the accompanying drawing Figure l is a longitudinally vertical sectional view through a lubricator disclosing an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view through Figure l on the line 2-2 Referring to the accompanying drawing` by numerals, l indicates what may be termed a base which is hollow and which is threaded at 2 whereby it may be screwed into a piece of machinery or other object to be lubricated. This base 1 has an internally threaded upper end 3 which receives the threaded extension 4 of the bottom 5. Suitable openings 6 are provided in the base 1 so as to disclose a glass or other transpa- 80 rent tube 7 whereby a person may readily see the oil pass downwardly during the feeding action.

The bottom 5 may be made of metal or other desirable material and carries a tube or casing 8 of glass or other transparent material, although if desired the casing 8 can be rnade of other inaterial than glass. Resting on the top of the lcasing 8 is a top or cover 9 having a threaded central portion 10 and a plurality of apertures 11 whereby air may freely enter or leave the interior of the casing 8. A tube 12 is threaded on the upper end and also on the lower end, said lower end being screwed into the bottom 5 while the upper end is screwedthrough the threaded portion 10 5 and extends upwardly therefrom an appreciable distance so that a cup 13 may be screwed thereon. An inner cap 14 rests in the notch 15 in the cover 9, said inner cap having a plurality of apertures 16 which communicate with a space i7 beneath the outer cap 18, which outer cap is provided with a number of slots 19 near the periphery whereby air may freely enter the slots 19, pass through the chamber 17 and then through openings 16 into chamber 20, thence to apertures 11 into the interior of the casing 8.

rrhis arrangement makes the oil feed readily under the action of gravity, and also while it is being inserted into the casing 8 air may flow in a reverse direction from the casing, thus permitting not only a ready and proper feeding action when the lubricator is in use but permitting a ready filling action as well.

rEhe tube 1.2 is provided with apertures 21 near the top and with a series of apertures 22 near the bottom 5.` It will be noted that the bottom 5 65 has a cone-shaped portion 23 whereby oil is fed from above the depression or grooved space 24, which space may act as a sediment receiver thus permitting only clean oil to pass into the tube 12 and then through the passageway 25 of the feed- 7lD ing sleeve 26. Sleeve 26 is provided with a valve seat 27 designed to accommodate the valve 28, which valve at its lower part has a tapering portion 29 provided with a flat end 30 so that the corner or edge 31 is rather sharp. This is im- 'f5 portant in that the oil when feeding in small quantities will gather on the edge 31 and then drop straight down through the glass tube 7 on to the part to be lubricated.

The spring 32 acts on the sleeve 26 and on an 3@ abutment 33 rigidly secured in any desired manner to rod 34, which rod is guided by a suitable spider 35 mounted in the tube 12. This rod extends upwardly to near the upper end of tube 12 so as to be acted on by the adjusting screw 36. Screw 36 is provided with a head 37 having a groove 38 for receiving a spring whereby ample friction is provided in the pocket 40 to prevent accidental rotation of the screw. Ordinarily the head of the screw is substantially flush with the 9i? top of the cap 41, which cap is provided with an annular groove 42 merging into a number of radially extending notches 43 designed to accommodate the respective pins 44. As shown in Figure 2, the pins 44 are arranged at equal dis- 95 tances apart, namely, l2 apart, and the apertures 43 are arranged at the same distances apart so that when the capV 41 is placed in position it moves until the apertures are aligned with the pins, and then it will drop down to the position shown in Figure 1. Afterwards it is rotated for part of a revolution, thus locking itself against accidental removal. After this has been done a screw driver or other instrument is used to adjust screw 36 and the rod 34 is forced downwardly until the valve 28 is opened to the desired extent, so that the desired drip or feed of oil will take place.

After the parts have been once adjusted the screw is left alone and by reason of the fact that it is within the casing or socket 40 it cannot be accidentally shifted. A ring 45 is rotatably mounted in a suitable groove in cap 21 and connected by chain 46 to ring 4'7 which is clamped against the upper part of the outer cap 18, which outer cap rests on the nut 49, said nut being screwed tightly against the center part of the cover 9. This structure is desirable because it will prevent the cap 4l from becoming mislaid and also permits all of the parts to be clamped together as a unit, so that in case glass 8 should become broken or it should be desired to remove the same for any purpose, the bottom 5 is merely unscrewed from tube 12 and the glass 8 is removed.

After the glass has been replaced the bottom 5 is again screwed into place tightly and the parts are in working condition, as the removal of bottom 5 does not in any way molest the adjustment of the valve or other parts.

When it is desired to refill the lubricator, ca'p 41 is rotated the desired distance until the pins 44 are in line with aperture 43. The cap is then lifted off and allowed to hang down the chain 46. Oil is then poured into the space formerly occupied by the cap 41 and passes downwardly through tube 12 out the various apertures therein. When the casing 8 has been filled the workman merely replaces cap 41 without in anyway molesting the screw 36, and as soon as the cap is placed in the correct position the valve 28 will open to the desired extent. It will be evident that the screw 36 may be adjusted at any time to secure a greater or lesser opening of the valve 28. It will be noted that by reason of the spring 32 and other associated parts-the valve 28 closes upwardly against the seat 27 and not downwardly, so that any accidental pressure exerted on the rod 34 will merely open the valve to a greater extent and will thereby not in any way injure the valve or its seat. As the parts function to feed the desired quantity of oil there is no hindrance to the dropping of the oil under the action of gravity to the parts to be lubricated, by reason of the fact that a suitable groove and aperture 2 is provided in members 1 and 2 as shown in Figure 1. This permits air to readily enter so that the flow of air is under the action of gravity and the oil moves in a body of air under atmospheric pressure.

What is claimed is- 1. In a sight feed lubricator a casing provided with a feeding structure, and a cover at the upper end, said cover having a plurality of apertures, an apertured protecting plate arranged above and in contact with said cover, the apertures being arranged near the center, and a slotted plate arranged over the apertured plate, the slots of said slotted plate being arranged near the periphery, thus presenting a staggered passageway to the air from the interior to the exterior of said container.

2. A sight feed lubricator including a container having an oil feed structure at the bottom provided with a rod extending through the top, an

apertured pipe extending into said container for directing oil into the container, a feed cup carried by said pipe, a cap removably iitted into said feed cup, said cap having a pocket in the upper end and an adjusting screw provided with its head in said pocket, said screw extending through said cap and in a position for engaging and adjusting the position of said rod.

3. In a sight feed lubricator having a valve provided with an adjusting rod, a cap provided with a recess and a screw carried by said cap provided with a head positioned in said recess, said screw being positioned to engage the end of said rod when the cap is in an operative position whereby upon longitudinal movement said screw may vary the position of said rod while the head remains in said recess, thus preventing any accidental removal of the screw.

4. A sight feed lubricator including a container having an oil feed structure at the bottom provided with a rod extending through the top of an apertured pipe extending into said container for directing oil into the container, a feed cup carried by said pipe said cup being provided with a plurality of inwardly extending pins, a cap removably fitted into said feed cup, said cap having a bayonet slot for each pin, said cap being adapted to be inserted into said cup and rotated until it reaches a definite vertical position, said cap on being inserted and rotated causing said pins and slots to react to determine the definite vertical position to be assumed and an adjusting screw extending through said cap and in a position for engaging and adjusting the position of said rod.

5. A sight feed lubricator comprising a container formed of a glass tube and a pair of end members removably mounted on said tube, both of said end members having a centrally positioned threaded aperture, a tube extending through both of said apertures and formed with threads interlocking with the threads of the respective apertures whereby said end members are clamped in place, said tube intermediate its end being provided with radially extending apertiues, means forming a valve seat at the bottom of said tube, said tube projecting beyond the upper end of the top end member, a cup screwed on to said extending portion of said tube, a valve coacting with said seat, a rod extending from said valve 'through said tube to a position adjacent the upper end thereof, a spring acting on said rod to cause the same to move in a direction for closing said seat, a cap removably positioned in its cup, a pair of pins carried by said cup, said cap having a pair of bayonet slots coacting with said pins to limit the movement of the cap in the cup to a definite vertical position upon each insertion and rotation of the cap, and a threaded member carried by said cap extending beyond the bottom thereof so as to engage said rod whereby the position of said rod and said valve may be regulated.

GUSTAV RICHARD FCKERT. 

